Boilerhouse, Manly

Boilerhouse is a Modern Australian restaurant housed in the old boilerhouse and engine room used back when Quarantine Station was still operational. The venue is heritage listed and has been restored to house the restaurant which serves up amazing food by Executive Chef Matt Kemp in a unique historic setting.

Salmon, tuna and kingfish are my favourite types of fish that are often served raw. The particular dish doesn’t just look good, it also tastes good. I quite enjoyed the South East Asian twist to the dressing and loved the use of unique garnishes such as the crystal ice plant which is increasingly becoming popular.

Roast Scallops – Butternut Pumpkin, Seeds & Pickled Kohlrabi

Scallop dishes are present on so many menus nowadays that it’s usually quite a difficult achievement for the dish to be quite memorable, in this case Boilerhouse hits the sweet spot. The blend of delicious butternut pumpkin, kohlrabi and tender scallops makes for one of the best scallop dishes I’ve ever had.

We decided that since we were both craving a good steak, it was probably a good idea to go with the Jacks Creek Sirloin which is designed for sharing between two people simply because of the sheer size of the dish. The beef itself was perfectly prepared medium rare and flavoursome, the fries and greens were also delicious. We generally loved everything about the dish except the bone marrow.

Eton Mess

This deconstructed variation of the Eton Mess struck a perfect balance between sweet and sour notes of the sugary components and the fruits, it’s also quite a refreshing dish which makes it quite easy to eat.

The warm bitter chocolate tart turned out to be a surprise winner, I wasn’t expecting too much given that it sounded like a generic tart but it turned out to be amazing and the milkshake makes for a unique dish. We also found that the tart also goes superbly with the delicious Frogmore Creek dessert wine.

Boilerhouse turned out to be one of my favourite meals of the year and I can see why it’s such a renowned restaurant, the food is superb and the venue itself is a unique departure from the norm. On busier days there is a bar located in the actual engine room of the building which serves up a smaller menu and a variety of drinks. During warmer months there is also plenty of outdoor seating for the main restaurant.

The Food Diary dined as guests of Boilerhouse and Espoir Communications.All views and opinions expressed in this post are our own.